Fraudsters can target anyone. As of June 30, 2023, reports of fraud reached 32,458 (92,078 in 2022); victims of fraud, 21,299 (57,578 in 2022), lost to fraud was $283.5 million ($531 million in 2022).
Here are some tips and tricks to protect yourself or your business from scams and fraud. Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it is.
Don’t be afraid to say no
Don’t be intimidated by high-pressure sales tactics. If a telemarketer tries to get you to buy something or to send them money right away, request the information in writing and hang up. Watch out for urgent pleas that play on your emotions.
Do your research
Always verify that the organisation you are dealing with is legitimate before you take any other action. Also, verify Canadian charities with the Canada Revenue Agency, verify collection agencies with the appropriate provincial agency, look online for contact information for the company that supposedly called you, and call them to confirm and verify any calls with your credit card company by calling the phone number on the back of your credit card.
If you’ve received a call or contact from a family member in trouble, talk to other family members to confirm the situation. Watch out for fake or deceptive ads or spoofed emails. Always verify the company and its services are real before you contact them.
Don’t give out personal information
Beware of unsolicited calls where the caller asks you for personal information, such as your name, your address, your birthdate, your Social Insurance Number (SIN), and your credit card or banking information. You don’t know who you’re talking to if you didn’t initiate the call.
Beware of upfront fees
Many scams request you pay fees before receiving goods, services, or a prize. It’s illegal for a company to ask you to pay a fee upfront before they give you a loan. There are no prize fees or taxes in Canada. If you win it, it’s free.
Protect your computer
Watch out for urgent-looking messages that pop up while you’re browsing online. Don’t click on them or call the number they provide. No legitimate company will call and claim your computer is infected with a virus.
Some websites, such as music, games, movies, and adult sites, may try to install viruses or malware without your knowledge. Watch out for emails with spelling and formatting errors, and be wary of clicking on any attachments or links. They may contain viruses or spyware.
Ensure you have anti-virus software installed and keep your operating system up to date. Never give anyone remote access to your computer. If you have problems with your system, bring it to a local technician.
Be careful who you share images with
Carefully consider who you’re sharing explicit videos and photographs with. Don’t perform any explicit acts online. Disable your webcam or any other camera connected to the internet when you aren’t using it. Hackers can get remote access and record you.
Protect your online accounts
By taking the following steps, you can better protect your online accounts from fraud and data breaches: Create a strong password by Using a minimum of eight characters, including upper and lower case letters, and at least one number and a symbol; creating unique passwords for every online account including social networks, emails, financial and other accounts, using a combination of passphrases that are easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess, enable multi-factor authentication, only log into your accounts from trusted sources and don’t reveal personal information over social media
RecogniSe spoofing
Fraudsters use spoofing to mislead victims and convince them that they are communicating with legitimate people, companies, or organizations. Here are the main types of spoofing used by fraudsters: Caller ID spoofingFraudsters can manipulate the phone number appearing on call display by call or text message.
Fraudsters can display legitimate phone numbers for law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, government agencies or service providers. Email spoofingSimilar to Caller ID spoofing, fraudsters can manipulate the sender’s email address to make you believe that your email is from a legitimate source.
Website spoofingFraudsters will create fraudulent websites that look legitimate. The fake websites can pretend to be a financial institution, company offering employment, investment company or government agency. In many cases, fraudsters will use a domain/website URL similar to that of a legitimate company or organization with a minor spelling difference.
Protect yourself from spoofing by
- Never assume that phone numbers appearing on your call display are accurate
- Hang up and make the outgoing call when someone claims to be contacting you from your financial institution, service provider, law enforcement or government agency
- Call the company or agency directly if you receive a text message or email. Make sure you research their contact information and don’t use the information provided in the first message
- Never click on links received via text message or email
- When visiting a website, always verify the URL and domain to make sure you are on the official website
